Communications system, infrastructure equipment, communications device and methods
A communications system is provided, comprising one or more infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, and a communications device. The communications device is configured to transmit or receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network to or from a peer terminal in the wireless communications network with one or more pre-authorised quality of service, PAQ, flows, at least one of the PAQ flows currently being inactive. One or more of the infrastructure equipment are configured to receive an indication that the communications device is preparing to transmit or receive data with the PAQ flows to or from the one or more of the infrastructure equipment.
1. A communications system, comprising:
one or more infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network, and
a communications device configured to transmit or receive signals via a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network to or from a peer terminal in the wireless communications network with one or more pre-authorized quality of service, PAQ, flows, at least one of the PAQ flows currently being inactive,
wherein one or more of the infrastructure equipment are configured to receive an indication that the communications device is preparing to transmit or receive data with the PAQ flows to or from the one or more of the infrastructure equipment,
wherein the infrastructure equipment is a first infrastructure equipment which is a target of a handover from a second infrastructure equipment, the second infrastructure equipment currently serving the communications device,
wherein the communications device is configured to receive a handover command from the second infrastructure equipment, the handover command comprising a backoff timer, wherein the setup of a new radio bearer for one or more of the PAQ flows is deferred until the backoff timer has elapsed.
2. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein when predetermined conditions are met, the infrastructure equipment is configured to set up a radio bearer to support at least one of the of the PAQ flows.
3. The communications system according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined conditions comprise at least one of the one or more PAQ flows becoming active.
4. The communications system according to claim 2 , wherein one or more of the radio bearers are dedicated radio bearers which are specific to the PAQ flow they support.
5. The communications system according to claim 2 , wherein one or more of the radio bearers are default radio bearers which are common to more than one of the PAQ flows.
6. The communications system according to claim 4 , wherein the infrastructure equipment is configured to indicate to the communications device that one or more of the radio bearers are dedicated radio bearers and/or that the one or more of the radio bearers are default radio bearers.
7. The communications system according to claim 6 , wherein the infrastructure equipment is configured to indicate to the communications device that the dedicated radio bearers and/or the default radio bearers are configured to support the PAQ flows.
8. The communications system according to claim 2 , wherein one or more of the radio bearers has a guaranteed bit rate.
9. The communications system according to claim 2 , wherein one or more of the radio bearers has a non-guaranteed bit rate.
10. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment is configured to receive the indication during an attachment process between the communications device and the wireless communications network.
11. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment is configured to receive the indication from the wireless communications network at a time when the PAQ flows are pre-authorized.
12. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment is configured to receive the indication from the wireless communications network at a time when the PAQ flows are modified.
13. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment is a next generation Node B, gNB, the gNB currently serving the communications device.
14. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment is a next generation Node B, gNB, and the second infrastructure equipment is a gNB.
15. The communications system according to claim 2 , wherein, the first infrastructure equipment being configured to receive the indication from a second one of the infrastructure equipment.
16. The communications system according to claim 15 , wherein the first infrastructure equipment is configured:
to receive signals from the second infrastructure equipment, the second infrastructure equipment currently serving the communications device, comprising signalling indicating that a handover procedure should be performed, the signalling comprising the indication that the communications device is preparing to transmit or receive data with the PAQ flows,
to determine that the first infrastructure equipment is able to serve the communications device with a selected one or more of the PAQ flows,
to transmit, as part of the handover procedure, an indication to the second infrastructure equipment that the first infrastructure equipment is able to serve the communications device with the selected PAQ flows, and
to receive, as part of the handover procedure, an indication from the second infrastructure equipment that the first infrastructure equipment should begin serving the communications device with the selected PAQ flows.
17. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure equipment is configured:
to transmit a paging message to the communications device, and
to receive the indication that the communications device is preparing to transmit or receive data with the PAQ flows from the communications device in response to the paging message.
18. An infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network comprising:
transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals to a communications device via a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network,
receiver circuitry configured to receive signals from the communications device via the wireless access interface, and
controller circuitry configured:
to receive an indication that the communications device is preparing to transmit or receive data with one or more pre-authorized quality of service, PAQ, flows to or from the infrastructure equipment, at least one of the PAQ flows currently being inactive,
wherein the infrastructure equipment is a first infrastructure equipment which is a target of a handover from a second infrastructure equipment the second infrastructure equipment currently serving the communication device,
wherein the communications device is configured to receive a handover command from the second infrastructure equipment, the handover command comprising a backoff timer, wherein the setup of a new radio bearer for one or more of the PAQ flows is deferred until the backoff timer has elapsed.
19. A communications device, comprising:
transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals to an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network,
receiver circuitry configured to receive signals from the infrastructure equipment via the wireless access interface, and
controller circuitry configured:
to transmit or receive signals via the wireless access interface to or from a peer terminal in the wireless communications network with one or more pre-authorized quality of service, PAQ, flows, at least one of the PAQ flows currently being inactive, and
to transmit an indication to the wireless communications network that the communications device is preparing to transmit or receive data with the PAQ flows to or from the infrastructure equipment,
wherein the infrastructure equipment is a first infrastructure equipment which is a target of a handover from a second infrastructure equipment, the second infrastructure equipment currently serving the communication device,
wherein the communications device is configured to receive a handover command from the second infrastructure equipment, the handover command comprising a backoff timer, wherein the setup of a new radio bearer for one or more of the PAQ flows is deferred until the backoff timer has elapsed.